San José, Costa Rica. July 2015.

Primary tumor lesions or metastatic ones can be detected early through nuclear medicine and a brain study. One can also make the differentiation between recurrent tumor and radiation necrosis

According to Dr. Ulises González Solano nuclear physician of the Clínica Bíblica Hospital, “nuclear medicine covers supplementary studies of the conventional radiological studies and in the case of brain studies, they tell us about the functionality of this organ. There is no age or sex restriction to be able to perform one of these studies, as long as it is referred by a health professional.”

There are several types of tests with nuclear medicine:

•ECD (Ethyl cysteine dimer), usually used for the study of dementia.
•Sestamibi studies for the detection of brain tumors.
•Studies of the transit of the cerebrospinal fluid for the detection of hydrocephalies and cerebrospinal fluid fistulae.
•The studies of the cerebral fluid in order to evaluate the viability of brain structures in patients in critical condition, where brain death is studied.

Brain studies are performed since 30 or more years ago and in the case of dementia, they orient us with regard to the patient´s condition. Nuclear medicine assists with the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases, for example, if changes in the brain perfusion are observed, this can orient us towards some kind of dementia (Alzheimer).

This type of medicine can be applied when the patient´s pathology indicates that his/her disease could originate in the brain and when the attendant physician knows the benefits of nuclear medicine in a possible diagnosis of his/her disease.

“These studies can be referred by any physician. They are performed by an interdisciplinary group made up of technicians specialized in nuclear medicine, the radio-pharmacist and the nuclear physician, who interprets the image of the study,” commented Dr. González.

For further information or for requesting medical attention, please call the number 2522-1000, or write to the email citas@clinicabiblica.com or contact us via chat at the website: www.clinicabiblica.com.